Time with the family is time well spent.

[Inu]

Inu lies fast asleep, sleeping dreamlessly. He's been so tired lately that he can hardly stay awake for Padawan classes, and hasn't done his usual sword routine in almost a month. He's been going to sleep late and waking up early, roused every morning by the wet, spittle-covered hands of his teething cubs. This morning is no different; he blinks his eyes open to see Kalia and Nef looking into his eyes, and feeling the tug of Hiro and Anu's little hands on his ears.

"Good morning to you too..." he gripes, stretching and scooping them all into his arms.

[the cubs]

Their mother is out in the kitchen, making something but the cubs don't know what it is and left them to wake their father. Today is Inu's birthday though and the mystery item was his cake along with a good breakfast. The cubs are hyper as usual, Anu is saying his new word, "Da-da!" over and over while the other cubs just "bee" and "beh" at their father while batting at his face with their grubby little hands, covering his mouth, eyes, etc.

[Inu]

Inu blinks and sniffles at the little hands, kissing foreheads as they present the opportunity. The cubs giggle and squeal, trying to cover their little foreheads, but daddy just gets their little noses instead.

"C'mon, kids...I wanna hear you all say 'Da-da!'...you can do it!"

[the cubs]

Anu is still the only one who can do it and he yells it loudly.

"DA-DA!"

"Beh!"

"Beh!"

"Bee!"

The other cubs fold their ears back at their brother as they make their attempts while Kalia puts her hands over Anu's mouth to shush him. In truth, Sorr had been coaxing "Da-da," out of Anu for days until he got it, trying to get it by Inu's birthday.

[Inu]

The father laughs, holding them close and nuzzling the tops of their heads.

"It's okay, you guys...you'll all be able to do it someday."

With a bit of effort he sits up in order to manage them better. He carefully pulls Kalia's arms back to keep Anu from biting her, sticking his tongue out at the foiled cub. Anu blows a big raspberry, and soon everyone in the room is making faces, Inu included.

[the cubs]

It's only a matter of time before they start fighting though, Kalia pulls the closest to her's hair, poor Hiro who bites her back. The other too watch and babble at them.

[Inu]

Inu gathers them on opposite sides of his body, fists firmly grasping their little hands to keep them from hitting one another.

"Now now...let's not fight. It's too early for this. Let's have fun, okaY?"

They may not understand all his words, but there's no mistaking that tone.

[the cubs]

Kalia and Hiro put their ears back in slight terror, dad can and will take things away they know. Kalia makes an attempt at her own new word again "Ma" she says loudly, she means ma-ma but can't quite get it right yet. Even so the cub wants to see what mommy is doing and the smells of breakfast are getting to her.

[Inu]

"Hm?"

Inu's not heard this, and is distracted from their message.

"Say it again, baby girl," he asks, settling her in his lap. "I wanna hear it."

[the cubs]

She points at the door, "Ma!" she says again, fluttering her ears as if saying don't you get it daddy? "Ma!" The other cubs giggle and point too.

[Inu]

"Ma..." Inu's heart swells with pride. "Let's go see Mama, then," he agrees, gathering them all up and easing the door open with his toe. He pads silently down the hallway into the kitchen, where the smell of breakfast sets his stomach growling.

"It smells good in here..." he comments idly, placing the cubs down in the living room floor to play.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

"jIt should, jI've been cookjing all morrrnjing. Happy Bjirthday dearrr."

She says quietly as she hugs him and gives him a good morning kiss.

"Sleep well?"

The cubs all make a yuck face when their parents kiss, Hiro covers his eyes as well.

[Inu]

He returns the kiss with a warm smile.

"I slept better than I ever have," he says. "How about you?"

He's too stunned to mention her comment about his birthday; he'd not remembered it himself.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

"Prrretty good beforrre jI had to wake up."

She makes a nip at his ear playfully before nibbling gently for a moment. The cubs giggle softly, mommy was funny, daddy wouldn't allow them to do that.

[Inu]

He brushes her bangs back and kisses her forehead.

"Poor thing. Next time, I should wake up early and make breakfast for you...I'll leave the terrors to get you up in time. How's that?"

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

Her ears flutter a little as she blushes a bit before she licks his cheek to cover for it.

"Sounds good."

The cubs winces and stick out their tongues. Must mommy do that? They seem to say before Hiro toddles over and pulls on his father's pantleg.

"Bee!"

[Inu]

Inu takes a knee and ruffles his little boy's hair.

"Wha's wrong, buddy?" he asks, settling Hiro on his knee so he can see eye-to-eye with his child.

[the cubs]

"Bee!"

The cub says and flutters his ears, he's gotten what he wants in stopping mommy from being mushy. Soon though, all the cubs are trying to climb all over their father and giggling.

[Inu]

Inu is pushed onto his rear by the swarm, trying to keep them from pinning him down.

"Hey now! Hey now! I wanna talk to mommy!" he chides light-heartedly, settling them back with their toys. "Play over here, okay?"

He stands back up and stretches, rolling his neck and returning to Sorreessa. "What got into them all of a sudden?"

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

"jI'm stealjing yourrr attentjion jis all, they want you all the tjime as do jI."

She winks playfully at the last part and smirks.

[Inu]

"I want to give you that attention," he answers, squeezing her shoulder gently. "The cubs just won't let me do it nowadays."

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

"Always a ljittle laterrr forrr that, thejir naptjime jis coming up afterrr brrreakfast.'

She purrs softly, her tail wrapping lightly around his waist before moving away. The cub offer their usual yuck faces, ick.

[Inu]

Inu makes a face at them over his shoulder to appease them, fidgeting with his wife's tail as he follows along behind her.

"Think they'll sleep for long?" he asks. "They always wake up early, ever since we moved into this place."

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

"Prrrobably, they've been up sjince jI have so they'rrre due to crrrash soon and a bottle wjill do jit..."

She moves into the kitchen to check on the food, the eggs are done so she puts them on two plates along with everything else she knows he likes that's already done cooking.

"Hungrrry dearrr?"

[Inu]

"You bet," he answers, taking the plates and setting them on the table. He eyes the plates longingly. Sausage, eggs, pancakes, all his favorites. He can't eat yet though. At the very least he can get the glasses and silverware for her. It's not much, compared to this breakfast she's cooked, but at least its something.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

She nips at his ear.

"Go ahead and sjit dearrr, jit's yourrr bjirrrthday, rrrelax and enjoy jit."

She kisses his cheek lightly before getting the bottles for the babies who were beginning to get fussy. The cubs all babble until they get their bottle then try to drink it as fast as they can.

[Inu]

Inu sets out glasses and silverware anyway, pouring them both some milk and sitting only once she's settled herself.

"Birthday it may be, but I can't just neglect you because of it. You're more important to me," he says, pausing to have some of the breakfast. "It's all excellent...you've outdone yourself, honey."

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

She blushes a little before eating some herself.

"Just trrryjing to make surrre everrrythjing jis good forrr yourrr bjirthday."

She purrs softly anyway, if he's happy, she's happy.

[Inu]

"It's perfect," he smiles, taking her free hand and squeezing it gently. "You're wonderful dearest."

His other hand continues to feed his face, though he's more concerned with fidgeting with her hand.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

"Glad you ljike jit."

She purrs and smiles happily, tail swishing slowly back and forth. She had spent quite a bit of time cooking and preparing it all just to how he would like it.

[Inu]

He finishes the plate and takes it to the sink, leaning over her from behind and kissing her neck softly, nipping at her ear and whispering into it.

"You're perfect, honey."

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

She shivers softly, blushing more as her ears flutter about.

"Am jI now?"

Her tail loops loosely back around his waist before swishing about again.

[Inu]

"Yes you are," he confirms, squeezing her shoulders and breathing in the sweet scent of her hair. "You're beautiful, and smart, and loving...perfect in every way."

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

She reaches back and rubs one of his ears lightly.

"Hmmm..."

She says quietly, she's blushing too much to really talk right now anyway.

[Inu]

He kisses her cheek, hugging her from behind and swaying gently with her. The cubs wrinkle their noses and stick their tongues out; mommy and daddy are so icky sometimes. Inu pokes his tongue out at them in return; he likes snuggling his wife, thanks much.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

She purrs softly and sticks her tongue out at the cubs too briefly which makes them giggle, somehow it was funnier when mommy did it. She nuzzles her mate's cheek, two of the cubs make faces but Nef and Hiro are falling asleep a bit.

[Inu]

"Sleepy babies..." Inu murmurs. "Go to sleep!" he cheers silently. If they'll actually get their nap on time, things won't be quite so hard on the parents for a while. The kids may even fall back into their old sleep patterns, which would make life easier for Sorr and Inu. Heck, they might even get some sleep too.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

"They should all go jin a mjin, bottle worrrks everrry tjime."

Sure enough, all of the cubs are yawning now, Hiro is curling up on the floor while the others look to him, now that looks like a good idea. Nef curls up with her brother and the others soon follow suit, making a pile of sleeping babies.

[Inu]

Inu walks quietly to them, laying a blanket over their sleeping forms and tucking their favorite dolls under their little arms. He kisses them each on the forehead, wishing them a good rest, and turns to Sorr.

"So...what happens now?" he asks mischievously.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

"Depends, what do you want to do? jIt's yourrr bjirrrthday."

She smiles back as if she doesn't already know what he wants.

[Inu]

"Let's do something we've not done in a long time. Like nothing," he suggests. "Anything that we don't have to take alot of effort to do."

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

"jIt's yourrr bjirrrthday not mjine, yourrr chojice."

Her tail swishes back and forth, wondering what's on his mind.

[Inu]

"Let's go lie down for a while," he suggests. "Let's talk. I don't think we've talked about much beyond the cubs for quite a while now."

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

"Fjine by me, couch orrr bed?"

She looks over to the cubs, they were close to the couch so might not be the best of ideas to be there talking.

[Inu]

"Not in here..." he says, leading her by her hand to the bedroom. In here they won't wake the cubs with their conversation, and if one of them should wake up anyway, perhaps they'll just roll over and decide they don't need to snuggle with their parents.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

"fjine by me..." She says again before following after him, tail swishing back and forth as she walked, trying to remember the last time they had time to just goof off.

[Inu]

Inu sits on the edge of the bed with a heavy sigh, rubbing his eyes with his hands.

"Well..." he murmurs, pulling his wife into his lap, "Today's my birthday. I am twenty-three years old. My home planet..."

He falters, eyes shifting to the side as he tries to remember.

"Home planet..."

He looks to Sorr for prompting.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

She rests her head on his shoulder and looks up at him.

"You haven't told me that one, dearrr...."

She wishes she knew but she only would know what he told her.

[Inu]

"I haven't?" he asks confusedly. "I could've sworn I had..."

He rests his head against her with a sigh, shutting his eyes as he recalls. He distinctly hears himself in his mind, shaking her urgently, almost shouting...

My home planet is...

But the name of the world fades, and he doesn't recall it.

"Oh well...no big loss..." he mutters.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

She reaches up and rubs one of his ears.

"...just a place of bjirrrth..."

Her tail wraps lightly around his waist as she relaxes, they rarely had time nowadays to sit and cuddle, etc like this so she was going to make the best of it.

[Inu]

"B-but..." he stammers, brow wrinkling as he tries to call it from his mind. "I know it! I know I do! I told you, late one night back in the village, after we were married!"

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

"jI don't rrrememberrr jit, dear...."

She says quietly before kissing his furrowed forehead.

[Inu]

He sighs and leans heavily against her.

"Maybe I just dreamed it..." he mutters. "Wish I could remember my real name more than anything. Then I could introduce you as having my last name, like married couples are supposed to do..."

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

She fiddles with her wedding ring a little.

"Thjis jis enough forrr me besjides jI'm dead jin most of the rrrecorrrd books."

[Inu]

He studies the ring, looking it over with a contented sigh. His own flashes in the light as he interlocks their fingers and holds her hand.

"I love you, dearest...with all my heart and soul."

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

She rested her head on his shoulder and purred softly while she looked at thier rings and interlocking fingers.

"jI love you too, wjith all my hearrrt and soul."

[Inu]

Inu shuts his eyes and sways gently with her, holding her closely and listening to the steady sound of her heartbeat.

"I can see why the cubs always rest their little heads over our hearts..." he whispers. "It's soothing."

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

"Verrry..." She looks up and smiles at the relaxed look on his face, he didn't have much time to relax these days so she was happy to see it.

"So arrre you havjing a good day dearrr?"

[Inu]

He nods to her, making a sound much like what a happy dog would make. His ears fold back and he sways over to the right, lying next to her with a smile.

"This is perfect."

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

"Good to know.."

She folds her ears back as well and rests her head against his chest to listen to his heart, hugging him close and purring ever so softly. It wasn't often they had time to spend alone together with him training in GJO and the cubs being such light sleepers. It just seemed there was never enough time in the day lately.

[Inu]

"Are you happy here, dearest?" he asks out of the blue. They'd been resting for almost a full ten minutes in total silence. Why he feels the need to ask this now is bizarre to him. Their embrace should already have answered this question.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

Her ears perk towards him as her tail starts to swish back and forth again.

"Why wouldn't jI be?"

[Inu]

"I don't know. I worry about it at times. Lately we've had no time for each other, and Coruscant's such a busy place..."

He nuzzles her hair gently.

"I want things perfect for you."

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

"jI'm happy wjith what jI have, ljife has gjiven me a good husband, fourrr wonderrrful chjildren, jit's perrrfect enough for me."

She kisses his neck lightly.

[Inu]

"But I wonder sometimes if I could make it better, somehow," he answers. "It worries me that you might not be happy."

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

"jI'm happy wjith what I have, dearrr..."

She kisses his cheek then looks into his pale amber eyes.

[Inu]

"Well, that's all that's important," he answers. He lies still for a moment longer, then speaks up again. "Do I get a gift on my birthday? Or just a cake and my favorite breakfast?"

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

"You djidn't hjint to anythjing so jI djidn't know what to get you..."

Her ears fold back a little in embarassment of it. She had listened but he hadn't hinted to anything.

[Inu]

"Anything would have been great," he says softly. "You can never go wrong."

He looks up above the bed, where his old katana hangs sheathed and useless to him.

"Though...if you really want me to hint at a gift, I can oblige you."

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

"jIf you want, jI could see what jI could do..."

[Inu]

He looks to the weapon for a few moments more, then holds her closely, shaking his head.

"Nah, this is great. You don't have to spend a single credit on me. It's perfect."

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

"K.."

She sighs softly and nuzzles his cheek, her tail wraps lightly around her mate's waist as though hugging him too.

[Inu]

"I worry about how I'm going to protect you guys though," he admits after a time. "That katana's not working anymore, and I can't do it with my claws alone."

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

"Hmm, have to fjind anotherrr way then...."

She sighs softly, the thought doesn't bother her for now.

[Inu]

"At the moment it doesn't matter, I suppose...While we're at the order no one will try anything."

He nuzzles her hair and breathes in deep.

"You smell nice, honey."

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

Sorr giggles softly and sighs.

"jI do?"

[Inu]

"Yes, you do. Don't sound so suprised, sweetheart," he answers, giving her a kiss. "You're the universe's most perfect woman. Everything about you is beautiful."

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

Sorr blushes softly and hides her face against his neck.

"Charrrmerrr..."

She whispers, muffled even more since she's hiding under his hair too.

[Inu]

He smiles, running a hand through her hair.

"I try," he whispers back, holding her tight. In the silence he can hear a muffled squeak from one of the cubs, and a few odd sounds that mean they're dreaming about something good. "The whole family's happy."

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

"Good to know..."

She whispers before peeking up at him, her blush has mostly faded by now.

[Inu]

"I see a beautiful pair of eyes," he murmurs, shutting his own and holding her close. It's such a great day. He feels the lull of sleep, and buries his face against her shoulder, trying to focus himself to stay awake.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

He feels the light pricking of her teeth against his neck though as his mate tries to keep him awake by nibbling gently and show her love at the same time.

"Crrrashjing alrrready luv?"

[Inu]

"I'm comfortable sweetheart," he yawns back. "The weather's nice, the house is quiet...I have a sexy teddy bear to cuddle..."

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

"Teddy bearrr? Cat would be morrre ljike jit..."

She nuzzles his cheek lightly with her own and purrs softly.

[Inu]

"You're sexy and cuddly no matter how you look at it," he yawns, burying his face against her with a contented sigh. "I just wanna rest here with you."

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

"Rrrest and nothjing else?"

She asks, nibbling lightly at his ear.

[Inu]

"Honey...I would love to 'rest' with you," he replies with a mischievous grin, kissing her and rolling her onto her back.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

"Oh, rrresssssst!"

She giggles softly before hugging him close.

"jI wouldn't mjind that one bjit."

She purrs softly.

[Inu]

He lays her back and kisses her softly.

"I love you..." he whispers, holding her closer as he proves it.